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The name of RiNo’s new subterranean eatery, BearLeek, gives only a partial hint at what the menu holds (never bear meat, sometimes leeks). The moniker actually comes from the German word for wild ramps, bärlauch. But your dinner could start with a visual that conveys meaning where the name falls short: a pudgy, short-limbed, Haribo-style bear made of butter that arrives with house-made brioche rolls. The childhood emblem evokes memories of food that can be both weird and somehow delightful. The butter is certainly that; it’s blended with charred leeks (or other seasonal ingredients) so the tiny bear comes speckled with color and tastes a little savory and toasty.
Later, after a smattering of small and large plates that aren’t weird but rather just plain good—a homey pierogi, an elegant French onion tartlet, a sphere of Burrata with chile crisp and fennel-sesame lavash crackers—another bear appears, this time formed from passionfruit semifreddo and mounted on a popsicle stick. Most unusually, the frozen dessert is drizzled in a red slick of black garlic salsa macha. You smile and nod as your inner kid takes charge of the spoon. 2611 Walnut St., Denver (RiNo)
